According to the data, 86% of users aged 18 to 24 in Vietnam are using AI, with 40% accessing these tools daily. Rather than simply absorbing viral content, they are using platforms like Google Search as a checkpoint to validate trends emerging from social media.

A telling example is the viral “study until the ice melts” challenge, where participants focus on studying without touching their phones until a block of ice melts. Instead of joining in unquestioningly, many young users drove a 100% surge in search queries, using AI to understand the logic behind the trend before deciding whether to participate.

From trend followers to information validators

This behavior reflects a broader transformation in how young people engage with digital content. Globally, users aged 18 to 24 now generate more daily search queries than any other age group, contributing to over five trillion searches annually, based on internal data from Google.

With the support of advanced multimodal reasoning models such as Gemini 3.1, search is evolving beyond one-way results into a more interactive experience. AI systems can cross-reference multiple sources and provide direct citations, making the verification process more transparent.

Beyond fact-checking trends, young users are also applying search tools to research brand histories, read map-based reviews and compare prices before making independent purchasing decisions.

AI as a daily companion

Sapna Chadha, Vice President of Google for Southeast Asia and South Asia, described AI as a historic turning point for search platforms.

In regions with young, digitally fluent populations such as Southeast Asia, she noted, users are engaging more deeply and treating AI as a companion - whether for learning, cultural exploration or shopping decisions.

“For young users, search has become an indispensable companion. They interact more deeply, more intuitively and use voice more than any previous generation,” she said.

This generational shift goes beyond familiarity with technology. It reflects a broader evolution in human-computer interaction.

An analysis of more than 3,000 queries across age groups by web marketing platform WebFX found that Gen Z tends to use longer, more natural language queries. Instead of short keywords, they phrase searches as full questions, relying on systems to interpret context such as location or intent.

A glimpse into the future of search

This conversational approach aligns closely with modern AI-powered search systems, including AI Mode, and suggests an intuitive understanding among young users of how to communicate with machine learning systems.

Experts believe that as language models become more sophisticated, this style of interaction will become the norm. Rather than forcing users to adapt to rigid keyword systems, future platforms are expected to better accommodate natural human language.

In that sense, Gen Z’s search habits are not just a generational preference. They offer a preview of how all users may interact with technology in the AI era - where asking the right question becomes just as important as finding the right answer.

Du Lam